Soil pH Levels

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Category: Grow Your Own

Created on Thursday, 12 November 2020 10:46

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Herbs, vegetables and just about all other plants grow the best when their soil pH level is optimized. Each plant type has its optimal pH range so it’s important to match a plant to the soil’s pH or to adjust the soil’s pH to the plant’s needs.

Soil pH is the measure of the soil’s acidity or alkalinity on a scale of 0 to 14, called the pH scale. Most plants grow between the pH range of 4.5 to 8.0. 

• The middle ground is normally around a pH of 7.0.  This is referred to as neutral. 
• If a soil has a pH below 7.0 it is normally considered to have a high acid content, the lower the number, the higher the acid content. 
• If a soil has a pH above 7.0 it has a high alkaline content, and again the higher the number the higher the alkaline content. 

A simple soil pH test will determine a soil’s pH.  Test Kits are available at local garden stores or just go online. 

Most necessary plant nutrients simply won’t dissolve when the soil’s pH level is off.  Why?  Because a soil’s acidity or alkalinity regulates what soil nutrients are available to the plant’s roots… including the big three: potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

Each plant type is different enough that you should check the soil needs with every planting.  Based on what your plant desires, and what your test kit shows you, you can easily add what it needs to get back on track. 

Another benefit to knowing the soil pH in your planting beds is that it allows you to group plants by their pH needs. Whenever practical, you should group plants by their pH needs, similar temperature tolerances, and nutritional needs.

Below are some pH levels for common herbs and veggies:

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